Writing

As a kid, I always loved playing on the monkey bars, but I was never very strong (fuck you, flexed arm hang). And although I loved watching people perform aerial routines, I never once considered I could do it too.

Last year happened to be chatting with Eve Richter Dinnan, someone who does all kinds of amazing things on the trapeze. I told her how impressed I was, and she said I should try it. I laughed and told her I couldn’t even do yoga, so there was no way I could do aerials. She replied, emphatically, “yes, you can!”

Note: I wrote the following story for the Smarter Artist Pity Par-tay Flash Fiction Contest. It’s a silly story involving some of the people from the Smarter Artist Summit (April 26-27, 2017), and involving a mashup of an item chosen from each of two columns. Apologies in advance to everyone whose name appears… of course this is all a work of fiction, and you’re all awesome. Other than this Celeste person, who is entirely fictional. As is Elliott.

Lots of people look for advice about how to become a freelance writer. It’s a great way to get away from cube farms, bureaucracy and crazy bosses (at least most of the time!) Because I was able to turn writing into my full-time profession, I wanted to help out others who want to pursue this career path. So I did what writers do: I wrote up a 12-step guide on how to get started. This guide is based on my own experience as well as a bunch of advice I learned from fellow writers when I started out. In the guide, I talk a little about the business of freelancing, how to set prices and determine what to write about, when the dry spells hit (and how to prepare!) and other advice on how to get started. It’s over on my Medium blog as well as on the Texas Freelance Association blog. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Looking for a short read? My short story “Solid as a Rock” is available on Amazon now! It’s a lighthearted story of Luke, a homeless veteran, and what happens after his mentor dies unexpectedly. Special note: This is your first introduction to Luke, but it’s not the last you’ll see of him. He’s going to be popping up in future novels, including a major role in book two of my upcoming time travel series. I’d love for you to check it out. If you like it, let me know (and it would be wonderful if you post a review on Amazon!)

Austin is the “Live Music Capitol of the World.” However, I’m convinced we have more writers in this city than we have musicians. The problem is, authors aren’t as visible as musicians, and we tend to be more introverted, so people don’t realize how many writers there actually are in Austin. Making matters worse, for a city as artsy as Austin, there aren’t a lot of organizations and events for writers that help raise awareness and build community. After many conversations with fellow authors, it became clear we needed to do something about it. A crazy idea Out of that, a crazy idea came into focus: a local, grassroots writer and author conference. Austin is full of amazing writers and experts on other topics. It therefore made sense for the conference to be by, for and about our local community. We didn’t need to invite big names or look to other cities for talent. It also needed to be affordable. Too many writing and publishing events are priced so high that average writers can’t afford to … Read more…

As a freelance writer, my life can be summed up in three words: Always Be Working During the day I do a considerable amount of writing blogs and web copy for various freelance clients, as well as create my own fiction. Then there’s all the tasks of running a business, not to mention organizing a conference. Having not left town for even a day trip in nearly two years, I had a craving to do a short road trip, but there was always a looming deadline, a meeting to attend, or some other reason why I couldn’t justify the time, or I’d just tell myself I couldn’t afford it. Maybe next month, I kept thinking. Out of the blue I had an opportunity to join the first CampConnect weekend at Camp Lonehollow, receiving a complimentary invitation to attend as a blogger. Miraculously, there wasn’t a single thing on my calendar for the entire April 8-10, 2016 weekend. As described on the website, CampConnect promised to “inspire and engage my youthful spirit.” Suddenly all … Read more…

Hot Wells is a San Antonio hotel that was built in the last 19th century and counted as its guests people such as Charlie Chaplin and Teddy Roosevelt.

Since that time the hotel experienced at least five different fires and now all that is left is the bath house, the hotel itself long gone. And even the bath house is now mostly a ruin, with walls that defy gravity and bricks piled everywhere. But despite its rundown appearance, it’s a magical place.

You can’t go more than about 10 feet in Austin without bumping into a writer. They call our city the “Live Music Capitol of the World” but in reality, I think we have more writers and authors than musicians these days.